Harry Potter and the Scion of Urza
by OlegGunnarsson
Summary: During their journey into the vaults of Gringott's, on their way to Hufflepuff's Cup, Harry, Ron, and Hermione encounter a strange, otherworldly vault. When its occupant is freed, the entire balance of power changes. Takes place during DH, and follows the War of the Spark.
1. The Tolarian Vault

**_A/N: _This story begins during the Gringott's Heist in _Deathly Hallows_, and an indeterminate amount of time after the _War of the Spark_ in Magic the Gathering. **

* * *

Once they had passed beyond the range of the great Ukrainian Ironbelly, Harry Potter noticed the silence of the vaults for the first time. The smooth stone passages and great metal doors of all sizes seemed like they would create a myriad of echoes, but he could not even hear their footsteps as they walked deeper into the depths.

If his nerves had bothered him before, they were really putting him on edge now. Even putting Travers under the _imperius _had not bothered him as much as the quiet did now.

One of the first vaults they saw had a smooth, gleaming silver door. Hermione had to look twice as they passed, for the design did not match any of the vaults they had seen to this point. It seemed at once both ancient and ultra-modern - perhaps even futuristic, if the gleam of its polished silver was any indication.

"What vault is this?" she asked Griphook.

"Not the one we're here for," he replied. The goblin sneered at her. "I'm already doing enough to break my oaths, Miss Granger, I won't help you do more."

"She didn't ask for a look," said Ron, stepping a little closer to the goblin. "She just wanted to know whose vault that was."

Griphook glanced up at the redhead, before scowling at Hermione. "That vault is one of several that belong to Gringotts. It houses unidentified artifacts."

"Uh huh," said Harry, unconvinced. He wanted to say more, but stopped himself when he saw Griphook stop in front of another, more traditional looking vault.

"This is the Lestrange vault," the goblin said. "Let us begin."

oOoOoOoOo

Once they escaped the vault, they found a squad of goblins waiting for them. Griphook's betrayal was not a sudden attack of conscience, it seemed. The trio began fighting their way out of the passageway, stunning and shielding as they could.

"Harry, we're going toward the dragon!" Ron said, once he realized which way they were going.

"I've got an idea!" Harry shouted in reply. "But I don't think you're going to like it!"

"Bloody hell!" was Ron's answer, as he blocked another attack.

When the dragon heard them approaching, it gave as mighty a roar as it could. Even in its weakened and underfed state, even at its advanced age, it was still a full grown dragon - and it was angry at the disturbance.

"Shit," said Harry, as he realized where they were standing. "Duck, now!"

Hermione had been shielding, and yelped as Ron tackled her to the ground. A blast of fire shot over their heads, blasting several goblins away and impacting the odd vault they had seen earlier. The door melted readily, which surprised them - it was made of silver, or a silver-like metal, and not the steel it had seemed to be.

Before they could get back up, the three found themselves surrounded. A second squad of goblins had flanked them as the dragon was attacking, and they were even angrier than the first group.

Griphook swaggered forward. "Commander, these three tricked me into breaching a high security vault. Let them face goblin justice."

One of the soldiers stepped forward, his face hidden behind a golden helmet. He looked at Harry. "Is this true?"

"We told Griphook what we needed and why, and that we were stealing from the Dark Lord, not from his customer. He brought us here willingly." Harry was in no mood to defend their betrayer, and basically said as much. At the back of his mind, he hoped that the soldier would at least listen before killing them.

"Did he?" Turning to Griphook, he nodded once. The soldier nearest to Griphook raised a hand, and Griphook fell to the ground. "Take him away."

Before the goblins could comply, they seemed to freeze in place. It was not a stunning spell, nor were they immobilized - they simply _stopped_, as if frozen in time.

Harry, too, was frozen in place - but unlike the others, he was simply unable to move from where he stood. He could look around, and did so, seeing Ron and Hermione also frozen. The dragon remained active, unfortunately, and let loose another angry roar, but did not attack.

A heavy noise drew Harry's attention to the melted vault door. The vault it protected remained dark and ominous, with no internal lights to reveal its contents. The only thing Harry could see was an odd set of runes that glowed with a pale, yellow light. What's more, the runes seemed to be approaching the doorway.

Shortly before the runes - and whatever carried them - made it to the door, Harry saw two more lights. They were both the same yellow color, and their size made him think of eyes. The thought chilled him - no creature he knew had eyes like that.

Once he saw the being to whom those eyes belonged, he understood. The yellow eyes were set into a broad metal face. It appeared to be vaguely human, in the way a blind sculptor might carve a human face sight unseen. Its mouth seemed set in a perpetual frown, but one of disappointment rather than anger or sadness.

The being seemed to wear armor of some sort, its thick shoulders displaying the ridges of what might have been plate. As it approached, Harry realized that there was no armor - the metal ridges were part of its body, and its body was seemingly made of a dull silver. It's movement was precise and steady, with more than a hint of inevitability in its stride. It was obviously a device of some sort, a mechanical thing, but the eyes conveyed emotion nonetheless - and right now, that emotion was confusion.

The dragon roared again, and the being turned to look in its direction. It raised a hand toward the dragon and Harry could tell that a pulse of magic had been used, somehow. The dragon seemed to freeze, just as the others had.

"Bolas, you are not," the being said to itself. Its voice was a smooth, rumbling bass, and Harry could not help but hear a deep weariness in it. When the eyes turned back to him, he saw something in them he had not noticed - they looked impossibly old. Or, rather, the being behind them seemed ancient.

It walked toward Harry, its head tilting as it considered the individuals in the passageway.

"You are a mage," it said.

Harry found that he could nod.

The being considered him for a moment, before his eyes glowed briefly. Before he could consider doing otherwise, Harry had glanced up at the brilliant yellow. As soon as they made eye contact, Harry felt a gentle brush against his mind.

It was not the brutal mental attack of Voldemort, nor the bludgeoning assault of Professor Snape. The image that came to mind was of a diagnostic charm like those used by Madam Pomfrey. It felt analytical, as if it were making a list of books on a shelf rather than reviewing the contents of those books.

The probe withdrew from Harry's mind, and he became aware that the being was still looking at him. Now that he got a better look at the face, he got the impression that it was contemplating its options.

"Where are we?" it finally asked.

"Gringott's," Harry replied. "We are in the vaults of the goblin bank."

"Goblins?" asked the being, an almost amused tone in its voice. "These creatures, then?" it asked, indicating the guards.

"Yes," Harry confirmed.

"And you are thieves? That one," it pointed at the lead goblin, "Seems to think that you had stolen something."

"We fight against a dark wizard, who took steps to prevent his own death." Harry spoke cautiously, not wanting to reveal too much - but he felt that he could trust this being, whatever it was. "We must destroy several items before the Dark Lord can be defeated. One of those items is the cup in the bag on my friend's shoulder."

The being saw Harry's look, and walked over to Ron, who remained frozen. Again, the being's hand came up, and Harry saw the glow of a spell on its fingertips. The only reaction Harry saw was a narrowing of the being's eyes as it realized what the cup actually was.

"A soul jar," it said. "This wizard created a soul jar?" It straightened up and looked back at Harry. "Distasteful."

"That's one way of putting it." agreed Harry.

The being raised its hand again, this time at Harry. There was no indication that he was being scanned, just the barest touch of what felt like a breeze across his face.

"He created more than one." It was not a question.

"Yes," Harry said, without thinking. "How did you know?"

The being stepped closer, its movements smooth and fluid, despite its size. A finger came up and pointed at Harry's forehead. "Your friend carries one in his bag, and you carry another in your wound."

"In my…." Harry's voice trailed off as the being's words sank in. "My scar…"

"Yes," stated the being, simply.

"Merlin," Harry's voice was a whisper at this point, his eyes closed.

A scrape of metal shook Harry out of his thoughts, and he opened his eyes to see one of the goblins shifting slightly. The metal being also noticed this, and seemed unconcerned.

"The 'goblins' will be free momentarily," it said. "We will need to be gone before that happens."

"We will?" asked Harry, emphasizing the 'we'. "You would help us?"

The yellow eyes turned to him, and Harry stilled under the attention.

"I find that a dark mage who has gone so far as to create artifacts of this type is beyond redemption," it said. "You cannot stop them if you are captured here." Its hand came up, and closed into a fist. With a pulse of magic, Ron and Hermione were unfrozen. Harry, too, found that he could move again.

"Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked, just before she turned and saw the being standing there. Her hand came up to bring her wand to bear, but stopped partway through the motion. "Who are you?"

The being looked amused. "You may call me Karn."

"Karn has agreed to help us escape, Hermione," said Harry. He could see Ron's look of disbelief, but also saw that Ron was keeping his wand down - for now. He was playing it by ear, just as they all were these days.

"Oh, well, um… Thank you, Karn." Hermione spoke haltingly, as she processed the fact that Karn - whatever it was - was an ally, at least for the moment. "We do still need to get outside of the wards, though."

Karn's eyes narrowed. "That would be the energy field permeating this area?"

"Probably," answered Ron. "You can't apparate from within the bank."

"I do not know how to 'apparate', as you say," replied Karn, raising his hand and pointing it at a nearby wall. "I am adept at other forms of travel, however." With an intricate motion, Karn seemed to open a hole in the wall. Its edges glowed a bright red, and soon the hole was a solid disc of light.

"I saw a house in your memories," Karn said. "A dark house, hidden from view."

Hermione shared a glance with Harry. "As soon as we set foot outside that house, we would be captured again."

"Indeed," said Karn. "So why not enter the house directly?"

"Can you do that?" asked Harry.

"I can," was the simple reply. The red disc faded, to reveal the foyer of 12 Grimmauld Place. As Ron, Hermione, and Harry stared in shock at the sight, another goblin began to move slightly. Karn noticed, and nodded toward the portal. "Time is of the essence, it would seem."

Ron approached cautiously. "We can just step through?"

"You can," answered Karn. "If you do so quickly."

When the disorientation passed, the goblins realized that their quarry had vanished. The lead goblin growled in anger as he saw the melted vault door.

"Inform the Director," he said. "The Tolarian Vault has been opened." He sheathed his blade, taking one halting step toward the ruined vault. "Gods help us."

oOoOoOoOo

Ron and Hermione both gave Harry a nod before leaving the sitting room. Hermione wanted to make sure that Ron's injured shoulder was healed properly, and trusted Harry to ask the right questions of their new ally. Ron, for his part, was starting to calm down from the heat of the battle, and had realized just how close they came to losing everything. He very badly needed to sit down for a while, and Hermione was pleased that she did not have to press the issue, for once.

Harry went to the kitchen to make himself tea, and paused. "Karn," he began, turning to the passive face of the metal being. "I'm sorry, there's no way to ask this, but…"

Karn nodded slightly, and again Harry got just a hint of amusement in the gesture. "In your tongue, I would be called a silver golem." The corners of Karn's mouth moved slightly, almost giving the impression of a slight smile. "And I have no need of sustenance. But please, feel free to tend to your needs."

"Right," said Harry, shaking his head as he prepared the tea. "And you were locked in a vault in Gringott's."

"Yes," Karn replied. "Tell me, what do your people know of planeswalkers?" Off Harry's blank stare, Karn paused. "Tolaria? Dominaria? The Nexus?"

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of any of that before," answered Harry. "I am just a teenager, though, so there may be some wizards who know more."

"Perhaps," said Karn, thoughtfully. "Suffice it to say, there are many planes of existence, each filled with its own magic. I, and many others, can use magic to travel from one plane to another. This makes us planeswalkers."

"Alright," said Harry. "And while you were walking between planes, you found yourself on Earth?"

"Earth," repeated Karn, as if saying the name for the first time. "Yes, I found myself here quite by accident. Whatever drew me here seemed to drain me of my magic, such that when I finally awoke I found myself being examined by those… creatures. They thought I was a statue, I imagine."

"If you weren't active, they may have," Harry said.

"They reacted poorly when I spoke, and rendered me inert once more. Then I woke today, when the vault was breached."

"I see," said Harry. "How long were you in there, do you think?"

The glow of Karn's eyes brightened slightly, which seemed to happen when he was trying to answer a difficult question. Harry wondered if the golem's mind was like some of the computers he had read about, or if it was something more in line with magical artifacts like the sorting hat that were self-aware.

"By your reckoning," Karn said, "I arrived on this world in the year 1792."

"Bloody hell," came Ron's voice. Karn stepped to the side, turning as he did so, revealing Ron and Hermione standing in the doorway, looks of shock on their faces.

Smiling to himself, Harry went to get two more tea cups.

oOoOoOoOo

Over the course of the next hour, the three told Karn the tales of the Dark Lord Voldemort. How he had murdered Harry's parents in a bid to forestall a prophecy, how he had split his soul to thwart death, how he had rampaged across the country in the past year. At every turn, the silver golem listened attentively and asked few questions.

The only real show of emotion Karn exhibited was when they explained that Voldemort was known as the Dark Lord because of his use and affinity for Dark magic. Here, the golem had almost scoffed at the term.

"There is no such thing as dark magic," said Karn, when Hermione questioned him on his reaction. "Magic is a force of nature, nothing more. It is what one does with that power that charts their course."

"This war is entirely about light magic versus the darkness," said Hermione, as if lecturing. The truth of her statement was self-evident, though perhaps not to an outsider.

Karn turned his yellow eyes toward her. "How many colors might one find in a rainbow, Hermione Granger?"

Puzzled, she answered. "Seven, sir."

"Indeed. Do they not bleed together at the edges? The red meets the orange, which meets the yellow, and so on. Where colors meet, do they not form different hues?"

Hermione was not sure. "Possibly…" she ventured.

Karn raised his hand, and it glowed softly. Five orbs of light rose into the air, circling between him and the three humans. They watched, fascinated, as the orbs took on different colors.

"In my experience," Karn began. "Magic comes in five basic forms. Each can be used for nearly limitless purposes, bounded only by the creativity and will of the spellcaster." As he spoke, the orbs slowed, taking up positions in a rough circle, floating in the air.

As he indicated each orb, it glowed with a brilliant light.

"White magic, or what you might mistakenly call 'light' magic, is the magic of the plains. It is the color of healing, true, just as I suspect your light magic might be in this world. But it is also the color of both order and justice. Law, bureaucracy, authority, these all hew to white magic." Karn focused on the orb as he spoke. "How many in your world, I wonder, sought power for pure purposes, and ended up being worse than those they replaced?"

An image of a sun appeared within the orb. "The symbol for white magic is a sun. It brings life and growth to the lands, but can also bake the desert and slay the unwary with its heat."

The green orb glowed next. "Green magic is the magic of the forest. It is the magic of life itself, of nature, of growth. It is the strength of the hunt, but also the bloodlust of the hunter, the killer instinct of the predator." A tree appeared in the orb. "The tree is our symbol for green magic. One can easily shape wood to their needs, cut it, burn it, as you like - but given time and room to grow, the forest cannot be so easily tamed."

Hermione watched, fascinated, as the blue orb began to glow. Ron and Harry shared a brief look, each amused at her reaction. This was old knowledge, something she would never find in a book.

"Blue magic governs knowledge and reason. It is the magic of insight, creativity, invention, cleverness. But even cleverness can give way to trickery when wielded as a weapon." A drop of water appeared in the orb. "Water is our symbol here, for the realm of knowledge is as vast as the oceans - and like the oceans, those who delve too deep often find themselves drowning."

The red orb glowed next. "Red is, as you might expect, the magic of fire and destruction. Chaos and the devastation of war are both aspects of red magic, just as the rage of the planet itself can be, as one might see with a quake or a volcano or the like." A small ball of fire appeared in the orb. "Fire is the symbol used for red magic - but not just any fire. The fireball is an aspect of red magic that exemplifies its nature, for it is a magic that is trivial to cast, but utterly impossible to fully control."

The fifth orb turned an inky black, eliciting a gasp from Hermione. "This is your dark magic, the magic of the swamp. Black magic." Karn waved his hand, and a stylized skull appeared in the orb. "Death and despair are the provinces of black magic, but death is not always evil or unnatural. Black magic is without moral imperative, lacking external control. It is individualistic, in a way no other realm of magic can be. The most ambitious of mages are students of black magic, and that frequently serves them ill, as your Dark Lord may learn to his regret."

Karn watched as the three teenagers gazed upon the five orbs, their fascination evident. With a flick of his wrist, the orbs began shifting once more.

"No being, no mage, no planeswalker, is entirely devoted to one aspect of magic." As he spoke, the white and green orbs merged briefly in the center of the circle, separating moments later. The red and black orbs were next, before the green and blue, red and white, blue and black, and so on. "Just as with your rainbow, there are many different blends of magical skill."

"So," began Harry. "I'm not a light wizard, then?"

Karn held his hand out toward Harry, and his palm glowed once more. As they watched, a sixth orb appeared, blended evenly with white and green magic.

"You see yourself as a protector, Harry Potter. At some level, you are offended at the continued existence of your Dark Lord, as your current mission proves. The nature of your protection, though, is thick with the magic of life." Karn tilted his head, considering what he saw in Harry's magic. "I see a great horned beast, striding through a forest, defending all who have need."

"Prongs," Harry whispered, staring at the orbs in awe.

After a moment, the white and green orb faded. Karn turned his attention to Ron, who nodded in response to the unasked question. Again, the palm glowed, and again a sixth orb appeared. This time, it was a blend of white and red.

"You, too, are a protector, but your magic is much more chaotic than that of your compatriots. What you lack in skill and precision, you make up for with strength you did not know you possessed. That will serve you well in the battles to come."

"Could you…?" Hermione's voice trailed off as Karn turned to her, his palm glowing. Instead of a blend of colors it was a bright blue with streaks of white, almost like clouds across a sunlit sky. Harry saw the wonder in Hermione's eyes, and watched as she reached a tentative hand toward the orb.

"You are a seeker of knowledge, Hermione Granger, much like the scholars of my home. But always your hand is guided by a strong sense of justice and order." Karn looked at the three, all of whom were still gazing at the visual representation of Hermione's magic. "None of you are surprised by my words."

It was Hermione who spoke first. "It all makes sense, when you look at it from this perspective. I never knew… Karn, this is amazing." Ron placed a hand on her shoulder, nodding his agreement.

"Voldemort would use black magic, then?" asked Harry. With a simple motion, another orb appeared - this one a dark black. To Harry's surprise, there were also streaks of red and blue as well.

"Your Dark Lord delved into magics best left untouched, it would seem," Karn said. "His rage is evident, and I suspect he would be a brutal master even to his most devoted followers." He nodded toward the small patch of blue, lurking at the edge of the orb. "Had he been given the chance, and with the proper guidance, he may have become a gifted teacher of magic. But his lust for power, his ambition… these doomed him."

oOoOoOoOo

Harry tilted his head, watching the golem. Something in the being's words gave him pause. "You've seen this sort of magic before."

A nod. "Once, long ago." The central orb grew, absorbing the others. In the cloudy depths, a shape began to form. Harry was the first to recognize the shape as that of a dragon, but one unlike any on Earth. Its wings were enormous, to carry its massive form. Its horns were equally impressive, and Harry could see that they almost crackled with magical power.

It was the creature's eyes that chilled him, however, for the dragon gazed out of the orb with unfathomable malice. Without thinking, Harry Potter took a step away from the orb, reaching for his wand as he did so.

"Behold Nicol Bolas," Karn said, disgust plain in his normally stoic voice. "Different worlds called him by different names over the eons. The Deathbringer, The Forever Serpent, The God-Pharaoh of Amonkhet, countless others."

Harry noticed Hermione reach over to hold Ron's hand as they watched the display, both troubled by the idea of such a creature. Harry focused himself on the meaning behind the comparison - on why the idea of Voldemort reminded Karn of a dragon known as the 'Forever Serpent'. The hatred in the features of Nicol Bolas could easily be compared to the Dark Lord, but the destruction Harry saw in the orb's images was well beyond anything Voldemort had managed in either war.

It was as if Karn had followed Harry's train of thought, for the images changed to depict a great battle, hordes of witches and wizards, alongside creatures of all sorts, fighting in a massive war.

"Even among magic users, planeswalkers are special. Each has the ability to pierce the boundaries between one world and the next, and thus tend to wield great power. Nicol Bolas was one such, perhaps the most ancient, said to be old before his world was born." Karn gestured toward the orb. "On a world known as Ravinica, he lured planeswalkers in by the thousands. Then he trapped them, intending to feast on their magic."

Harry saw the battle, saw the unimaginable power of the wizards arrayed against the hordes of what looked like zombies fighting for Bolas. In that instant, he saw a similar battle, wizard against wizard, taking place on the steps of Hogwarts, and felt the anger growing inside him. _This,_ he thought, _is exactly something Voldemort would try. _

"What happened, Karn?" asked Harry.

"In his arrogance, Bolas sowed the seeds of his own defeat. He had created a weapon of immense power, a spear fit for a goddess, containing some of his own essence. With that spear and his magic, he corrupted Hazoret, the Amonkhet Goddess of Zeal. She remained under his control until he betrayed her and left her for dead. Years later, when our alliance sought to fight him, Hazoret gifted me with the spear. The dragon Niv-Mizzet impaled Bolas on the spear, allowing him to be stopped once and for all."

"He did the same thing…" said Hermione to herself. Off their looks, she gestured at the frozen image of Nicol Bolas. "Don't you see? Bolas left part of himself in the spear, and that was what defeated him. You-know-who left pieces of himself all over the country, never believing for an instant that they could be found and used against him."

"If we can find them," said Ron. "We're still missing one."

Karn looked intently at Harry. "How many soul jars did this Dark Lord create?"

"Six," said Hermione.

"No," said Harry, remembering the conversation in the vaults. "The diary, the ring, and the locket are destroyed. We have the cup. He has his snake. Something of Ravenclaw's is hidden at Hogwarts." Harry turned toward Ron and Hermione, his shaking hand on his forehead, lifting his hair to display his scar.

"And the seventh is here, in my scar." He sighed. "In me."

oOoOoOoOo

Karn watched passively as Hermione went to hug Harry, following his revelation.

_The boy expects to die, _he realized. _Yet he goes forward anyway. Gideon would have loved to meet this boy. _

Ron stepped closer to Karn, giving Harry and Hermione their space. "Can you help us?" he asked.

Karn looked down at the redhead, but said nothing.

"Look, we're Gryffindors, and normally that means that we'd charge in without a plan and without a clue." Ron nodded toward Harry. "If I know my friend, there, he'll want to go to Hogwarts right away, and hope that we figure it out before You-know-who does."

"You hope for another way." Karn said, simply.

Ron nodded. "There's a prophecy, you know, about Harry and the dark lord. How does it go… _and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…" _He looked up at the silver golem, his expression unreadable. "The way I see it, there isn't much magic that Harry knows that You-know-who doesn't. But what they don't know is that you're here."

Karn seemed to be amused by the thought. "You believe that I am the power this dark lord knows not?"

Ron shrugged. "Could be, mate." Ron's eyes went to the image of Nicol Bolas. "Seems to me you've already taken care of one dark lord, and a much worse one than ours. We could use your help."

"Every act of destruction has repercussions," said Karn. His voice sounded more weary than it had all evening. "I cannot slay your dark lord for you."

"No," agreed Ron. "But that doesn't mean you can't help us in other ways."

"Perhaps not," said Karn. "I told Harry that a mage who created soul jars was beyond redemption, and I stand by that. Just like the Nameless One, he must be stopped before his rampage consumes your world."

Karn's yellow eyes met Ron's. Neither of them noticed Harry and Hermione watching them, listening. The great silver face nodded once, and the deep voice spoke once more.

"I will stand with you, all of you."

"Thank you," said Harry. "Truly, thank you."

Karn nodded in acknowledgement. "We will want to get moving, then."

"Right." agreed Harry, standing up. "To Hogwarts."

* * *

**_A/N:_ I got into a discussion with my brother over beers a few weekends ago, during which we got out our old Magic: The Gathering cards and played a few rounds. That led to a discussion about how various characters in other fandoms might fit into the magic system of MTG. This story is the result. Now that the background is out of the way, we have room for what might be a very interesting Battle of Hogwarts. **

**Much of the lore about mana is taken from the MTG Wiki, where it is well summarized. Karn's perspective, as both an artifact and a reformed pacifist, informs the entire discussion. Though the colors for Nicol Bolas are canon, the mana colors chosen for Voldemort, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are my own, and I imagine fifty different readers would have fifty different interpretations. Indeed, many named characters in MTG lore have multiple blends of color to their cards - except for Karn of course, who (as an artifact) utilizes all mana equally. **

**Karn's quote to Ron about repercussions is from the 2015 version of the Aftershock card. Other quotes are my own, though he may get some classic quotes in the next chapters. **

**Last time I wrote a one-shot, I ended up getting talked into continuing it - and Who Dares Wins is the result. I hope to avoid that here by starting right at the end of canon. As fascinating as Karn can be, he really does change the balance of power in some fun ways that I'll enjoy writing. **

**Feedback, as always, is welcome. **


	2. The Artificer

It had been evening when the four returned to Grimmauld Place, and the revelations of that day had left the golden trio exhausted. Karn suggested that they rest and restore themselves before going into what would certainly be a battle at Hogwarts.

Before going to bed, Harry asked Karn about his scar - the scar he now knew held a piece of the Dark Lord.

"There is magic there, as you suspected," Karn said. His hand glowed with a soft yellow light as his magic scanned the area. "You said something about being linked to the Dark Lord?"

Harry nodded. "I can see what he sees, sometimes. Usually when he is emotional or angry."

"Interesting," replied Karn, lowering his hand. "That may be a powerful weapon against him, if the need arises." Karn saw the uncertainty on Harry's face at that thought.

"I don't want him to know what I'm thinking," Harry said. "If he knows we are after a horcrux, he will order an attack on the school."

"That is likely," Karn agreed. "Fortunately, you will know when the goblins inform him of your escape. We will have some warning."

"Why would the goblins do that?" asked Harry, with a frown. "They claim to be neutral."

"With that many of the creatures working for the bank," Karn said, "it would be trivial to subvert at least a few. Any force seeking to take over your world would need to know what the goblins were doing." Karn's yellow eyes focused on Harry's. "It only takes one spy to reveal the secret."

A sigh escaped Harry. "Then we're out of time."

"Yes."

Harry chose that moment to yawn, the fatigue rapidly catching up to him. "If he moves, I'll know it and wake everyone. Until then, I need to get some rest." He looked up at Karn, a sudden look of concern on his face. "Karn, do you need anything?" He left the question he wanted to ask - _Do you sleep? - _unspoken.

Karn\s voice sounded amused. "No, I do not need to sleep." The golem looked around the kitchen briefly, before returning his attention to his host. "If you happen to have a small supply of metal, I would be grateful."

"Metal?" Harry could not help but be confused by the request. Did Karn actually eat metal for food? Or was there some other purpose to the question? Another yawn interrupted his thoughts, and Harry decided that the reasons really didn't matter, not tonight. He gestured toward a door in the corner. "The basement is through that door. If no one has stolen it, there should be some old junk that may be useful to you."

Karn inclined his head in thanks. "It is appreciated, young mage."

Any reply harry might have offered was swallowed by another yawn. Taking that as his cue, Harry went to bed.

The silver golem watched Harry walk up the stairs, his yellow eyes glowing with unearthly light. His expression, as it had been for much of the night, was unreadable.

oOoOoOoOo

When Hermione Granger stepped out of her room the following morning, she was startled by the sound of a man's voice coming from the foyer. The voice was not one she recognized, though his tone was light and conversational. It certainly didn't sound like a death eater, of that she was sure.

It was the calm response from the portrait of Walburga Black that truly confused her, for she had never heard the portrait have a polite conversation. Drawing her wand, she stepped quietly toward the landing.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw a man standing in the foyer, leaning against the wall, having a nice little chat with the angriest painting in the wizarding world. The man was tall and well-built, and wore an outfit that made Hermione think of a pirate captain. His dark hair and beard framed a face that was at once both kind and determined. He had the look of someone who was used to command, but did not enjoy it.

His eyes were drawn to her when she came into view. "Name's Gerrard, at your service." he said, smiling.

Hermione's mind was racing. Clearly, the wards had allowed this man into the house, so he couldn't be a threat. But Harry owned the house, and would have to have known this person, right? She kept her eyes on Gerrard, who seemed amused at her confusion.

The man hooked a thumb toward the kitchen door. "I'm a friend of Big Shiny, in there."

"I have asked you repeatedly to stop using that name, Gerrard," came the reply from Karn. The voice remained even, with no hint of annoyance - which only made the odd man grin.

"Aye aye," he said.

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle. "So you are from Karn's world, then?" she asked.

Gerrard shrugged. "That, my dear, is a very long story." He nodded toward her, and she looked down to see her wand still in hand. "Perhaps we could sit down and talk about it? Without our weapons?"

Hermione hesitated just slightly, before putting her wand away. _Karn trusts him, _she thought, making her decision an easy one.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Gerrard held out a hand. Taking Hermione's, he placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"A pleasure, Miss Granger," he said. As he turned toward the kitchen, he did not notice her freeze in place. When he looked back, he saw that Hermione had her wand out once more.

"I don't remember telling you my name," she said. The ice in her tone told him how tightly she was controlling her anger.

"Ah, well," Gerrard began. "You didn't, actually."

"Then how do you know me?" She stepped forward, her wand aimed squarely at the man's forehead. "How are you here? Who are you?"

Gerrard smirked at her, and gave a jaunty little salute. Then, before her eyes, his form shimmered and vanished.

Hermione stood there, in the foyer, stunned by the disappearance. Again, the wards should have prevented it, but they failed. "How?" she said to herself.

"That would be my doing, Miss Granger," said Karn, apologetically. "Please, join us in the kitchen."

Not sure what she would find, Hermione walked to the kitchen door. Her eyes grew wide as they took in the sight before her.

Karn was sitting at the table, working on some sort of metal device. His hands were buried within the strange object, hidden from view. Above him, circling in a lazy arc, were three small dragonflies. Each was made of gleaming metal, and the quiet buzzing sound they made was a combination of wings and gears. Hermione found herself being reminded of clockwork, though the objects seemed far more complex.

A small creature, shorter than a house elf, stood on the table. As Hermione stepped forward, she saw that the creature was made of metal - two legs, four thin arms.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?"

Gasping, Hermione turned and saw Gerrard sitting against the far wall, the smirk still lighting his features. She did not even bother to raise her wand as she stared at the man, trying to puzzle out his secret. Gerrard noticed the expression, and nodded toward Karn.

The golem spoke without looking up from his work. "Gerrard was captain of skyship Weatherlight." Karn paused then, as if he didn't know how to continue.

"Was?" Hermione asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

"Aye," said Gerrard. "Karn here found me after my entire clan was murdered. When I grew up, we ended up saving each other's lives what, a dozen times each?"

"Considerably more, I believe," replied Karn, quietly.

"Something like that," Gerrard agreed. He leaned forward, tapping a finger on a small metal disc Hermione had ignored. Sitting on the table, the only indication of any sort of magic was a small blue light on its surface. The man smiled at her, before continuing. "When Karn decided to attempt to build something to cast an illusion, well… let's just say he picked someone he knew well."

"An illusion?" Hermione was shocked at the implication - Gerrard had held her hand. He had interacted with a portrait, and the portrait took him for human, or it would not have spoken, such was the magic of a wizarding painting. "How?"

Gerrard grinned again, before he shimmered and vanished.

"A combination of precisely formed energy shields and refracted light, Miss Granger," Karn said. Raising a hand, Karn summoned the metal disc, which obediently flew across the room. With a touch, the disc glowed once more, and Gerrard reappeared. "Magic would not be fooled, of course. But we're not attempting to fool magic."

"Nope. It's the men we need to fool, this time." The illusory captain leaned back in his chair, placing his boot-clad feet on the table and his hands behind his head. He was the very picture of relaxed as he spoke.

Hermione looked at the small disc in Karn's hand, and then back to Gerrard. "Amazing," was all she could say. She motioned to the dragonflies circling overhead. "And those?"

One of them broke formation and flew slowly across the room, stopping in a hover just in front of Hermione's face. The wings, she saw, were almost translucent, just like those of a real dragonfly. The body was multi-colored, as if more than one type of metal went into its construction. It even had small brass feet. Its head had one crystal eye, rather than the compound eyes of a real insect.

"Karn here is a master artificer, Miss Granger," answered Gerrard. The illusion smirked, as if remembering an old joke. "It always amused me that the most complicated artifact in the multiverse was the best at creating artifacts of his own."

Hermione looked back at Karn, who seemed to be focusing on the apparatus in front of him. Until that moment, she had not really contemplated the nature of their strange ally. "An artifact?" she said.

"Oh, aye." replied Gerrard. "On many worlds, you'll find devices capable of channeling magic. The vast majority are tools or weapons. Sometimes, there will be more unusual ones, like maybe a monument that shields a town, or a gate that can tell friend from foe."

"We can do some of that," Hermione said. "But we have to use runes and ward stones, and it's an incredibly complicated field of magic."

"That it is, Miss Granger, that it is," agreed Gerrard. He nodded toward Karn, and again Hermione looked over at the silver golem. "Many centuries ago, there was a man named Urza. He could blend magic and metal in ways no one had ever dreamed of before. One day, he decided to explore time itself, but the method he used would kill instantly. The only substance that could withstand that type of magic was silver."

Hermione looked from Gerrard to Karn, and had to remind herself that despite his manner, Gerrard was an illusion controlled by Karn. His voice may be his own, but his words came from Karn.

"So," continued Gerrard, "Urza built a magical probe to explore time and space. He poured his magic into it, and added unique devices to give it enough power to be useful. And in the end, his creation surpassed even him."

Again, Hermione looked at Karn. "You really are a golem, then? That's not just a name for something else?"

Karn's yellow eyes glanced up at her, before returning to the device on the table. "No, Miss Granger, I am a Silver Golem. The cornerstone of Urza's Legacy, and a planeswalker in my own right. There." Whatever else Karn was going to say was interrupted by a whirring from the device in front of him. Silver and brass legs stretched out and lifted off of the table, arms rotating as if for balance. A small triangular head swivelled around, taking in the room.

Focusing on the four-armed device, the metallic spider walked across the table to stand in front of it. When it began a chittering noise, as rapid as it was unintelligible, the four-armed device began to stir. It then replied in kind, and the conversation was underway.

"See?" Gerrard's voice sounded amused. "I told you he was a master artificer."

"You'll have to teach me," Hermione's quiet voice was clearly in awe of the achievement. Karn had created beings that could interact, seemingly with only a box of scraps.

"When this is all over, Miss Granger, I may do just that."

oOoOoOoOo

"He built what?"

Hermione sighed. "Robots, Ron. He took scrap metal Harry gave him and built mechanical creatures with it."

Ron continued lacing his boots, as he thought about that. "Why?"

"He seemed to think that we would need all of the help we can get." She looked at him evenly, keeping the worry out of her voice. "He's not wrong."

The silence stretched out for a moment, before tilted his head at her. "Something else is bothering you." It wasn't a question.

"I don't know, it might be nothing," her voice trailed off as Ron stood up and hugged her. She returned the hug, grateful for just a moment of comfort.

"Your guesses are better than most people's research, Hermione," he said, quietly. "What are you worried about?"

"When I was speaking with Karn," she began, "He showed me how he could make illusions that can interact with their environment." When Ron gave her a questioning look, she continued. "He created an image of someone he once knew, and that person took my hand. He lifted objects, and moved a chair around. It was so lifelike, Ron."

"Blimey," he said. "That could be dead useful,"

"Maybe," she agreed. "But Karn was controlling what the illusion did and said. Ron, he basically had a conversation with himself."

After a moment, he shrugged. "So?"

"So, Ronald, I think we need to be careful." Her eyes met his, and her intense gaze showed exactly how serious she was about this. "He's a living magical artifact who fought in a war - more than one, from the sound of it - and then spent centuries locked in a vault. And now, within a day of being freed, we're dragging him along with us into another battle." She sighed again. "I don't know why, I'm just worried."

Ron pulled her into another hug. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"I hope so," she replied.

"Hey, if Karn were going to be trouble, he wouldn't have helped us, right?" Hermione nodded in response, so Ron continued. "So, keep your eyes open and stay cautious, and we'll be fine." Ron decided to change the subject. "First things first, though. We've got to get them to Hogwarts, right? So how do we do that?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "Can his portals go through wards?"

"He blew through those Goblin wards easily enough," Ron said, thoughtfully.

"If they can, then we can get into the castle before they know we're there." Hermione frowned. "But where do we go?"

The door to the ensuite opened, and Harry Potter stepped out. "We need allies," he said. "In and out of the castle."

"Bill will summon the order," said Ron. "Should we send a patronus?"

"No," replied Hermione. "But I might have a better idea, and we can kill two birds with one robot." Without hesitation, she stood up and left the bedroom. Harry and Ron shared a look at their friend's rapid departure.

oOoOoOoOo

Aberforth Dumbledore took a drink of his firewhiskey. Normally, he would not be drinking during the lunch hour, but seeing as his bar was completely empty, one drink would not kill him.

The death eaters were getting restless. Locking down the village was only the latest outrage, each worse than the last. The puppet ministry was trying to tighten its grip, and failing.

But it was all for naught if no one actually _did _anything!

His eyes caught a small piece of parchment, sitting on the bar. Had that been there before? Reaching over, he quickly read the green ink.

_Sometime soon, I'd like to visit dear old Hogwarts. Perhaps you can point me in the right direction? Bill, an old colleague of your brother's, thought you might be able to help. If so, go into your back room and say that you agree. If not, say that you're closed and we'll find another way._

What in Merlin's name was this? Aberforth looked around, but saw no one. How did they get a note in without being seen? There were no enchantments on the parchment, so how would they hear him?

"This is stupid," he muttered. Not bothering to lock the bar, Aberforth walked to the back office and storeroom. The portrait of Ariana watched him with that sad smile, same as always. Looking up at the ceiling, he sighed.

"Whoever you are, I agree to help you." A quiet buzzing sound drew his attention, and he turned to see what looked like an insect hovering in the corner of the room. It seemed to be watching him intently. The sunlight coming in one window caught it as it moved, and the gleaming reflection reminded Aberforth of steel.

"Right, go on then," a voice said behind him. Spinning about, wand in hand, Aberforth Dumbledore saw a hole appearing in his wall. On the other side was Harry Potter. As he watched, Potter stepped through, followed by one of the Weasleys and another witch with brown hair. Behind them came a suit of armor such as he had never seen before.

The armor waved its hand, and the hole closed itself in a flash of red magic, leaving only an intact wall behind. When it turned to face him, Aberforth saw its glowing yellow eyes, and knew then that the creature was alive, somehow, and impossibly old.

Aberforth stared at the three teenagers and the magical suit of armor. Then he finished his drink in one go. Today would be a very long day.

oOoOoOoOo

To everyone's surprise, Neville Longbottom took the sight of Karn in stride. When asked about it, he simply shrugged. "This is my life now, I guess," he said.

Karn, for his part, had been quiet during the talk with Aberforth, and remained so during the long walk through the passageway. He had opened a window in the tavern, letting three of the little ornithopters fly away. Even before they reached the school, he could begin to get an idea of the challenge they faced.

The only sound in the passageway had been the heavy sound of Karn's footsteps, until Neville wordlessly silenced the golem's feet.

"Thank you, Neville," said Karn.

Neville didn't even miss a beat. "No problem, Mister Karn," he replied. It was another moment that showed Harry the confident leader Neville had become, for the nervous, unsure Neville of old would have stuttered and cringed at the golem's presence. Today, and probably for much of the last year, Neville was all business.

When they crossed the ward line, Karn froze in place. Turning, Harry saw that the golem's eyes had grown impossibly bright, as if he were flooded with power. "Karn?" he asked.

"Stand by," was the reply. It was whispered, as if Karn was in awe of what his eyes saw. "Remarkable," he said.

"What is it?" asked Harry, his wand out.

"The wards… I can interface with the castle." Karn's voice remained quiet, and his eyes had a faraway look to them. "Amazing." For the first time, Harry could hear true awe in the golem's deep voice.

After a few minutes, Karn's eyes returned to their regular glow. Briefly, he looked around, as if disoriented, before focusing on Harry.

"The magic of this place is incredibly complex," Karn said. "More so than anything I've seen before." He tilted his head, considering what he was sensing from the castle. "It's almost as if… I think she is welcoming us."

"She?" asked Neville.

A nod. "I cannot explain it without more time, but the impressions I am sensing seem indisputably feminine. She thinks of herself as…" again he paused. "She has an identity but it is unclear. Perhaps within the castle proper I will find more information for you."

"Good enough for me," said Harry. "Let's keep moving."

oOoOoOoOo

When the group arrived in the Room of Requirement, the gathered remains of the DA welcomed them with open arms. On every face, Harry saw renewed hope - which, in turn, gave him hope that they could win.

Karn let the others go in front of him, and as such entered the room largely unnoticed. Only a few of the refugees saw what looked like a suit of armor entering with the boy-who-lived, but they reasoned that the armor was just an added measure of protection.

Taking the opportunity, Karn placed his hand on a nearby wall, and took the measure of the castle's magic. It was not like the mana fields of Tolaria, nor the subtle but omnipresent magic of the city-world of Ravnica. Hogwarts was a castle first, he found, and over the centuries the magic of thousands of young witches and wizards had left its mark. Between the nearby ley lines - this world's equivalent of land-based mana - and the residue of the magicals who had passed through its corridors, Hogwarts had evolved into something… more. Something unique.

Once the battle was over, Karn very much looked forward to exploring the castle - and interacting with it.

For now, however, they had business. The castle could tell him where staff members were at any time, and from Harry he knew that the headmaster was a marked follower of the Dark Lord. An image of a black-cloaked man in an ornate office came to Karn's mind, and he gently probed the magic of the runic tattoo on the man's left arm.

The magic was hideous - at once simpler and much more pervasive than anything he had encountered before. It was almost like a slave bond, except that it left the wearer with free will, such as it was.

The castle informed him then that there were seven individuals in the castle who bore that mark. Six wizards and one witch. Two, a man and a woman, were in a classroom with a number of students; presumably they were professors. Three more were in a small room near the entrance hall, dining together. Guards, perhaps? The sixth was in the Headmaster's office, as Karn had already seen.

The seventh was in the Room of Requirement, standing next to Ron Weasley and his sister Ginny.

Karn turned to his companions, and saw a young red haired boy listening attentively to Harry and Ron telling their story. Other students were asking questions and telling their own stories, but the younger boy just gathered information.

It was not until the boy began to move toward an exit that Karn made a move of his own. Five paces from the door, Karn reached out his hand, and the boy fell to the floor as if he were a puppet with its strings cut. The other students were surprised when one of their own fell down, clearly stunned. They were then shocked when a suit of armor walked over to the fallen boy.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had their wands out, covering not only the stunned form of someone they thought had been a second year Gryffindor, but the room as well. Months on the run had them taking no chances.

"What happened, Karn?" asked Harry.

Karn indicated the fallen boy. "Who is this wizard?"

After a moment, Neville answered. "Kevin O'Reilly, a second year. He found us a few days ago, and has been here ever since. He looked up at Karn. "Why?"

The palm of Karn's outstretched hand was glowing as he moved his fingers in an intricate pattern. "There is a chemical masking his appearance. I am unfamiliar with it."

"Polyjuice," said a grim Hermione. She looked at Neville and Ginny. "Do you brew potions here?"

Neville nodded slowly. "We have some hairs from Slytherins, which lets us polyjuice and enter the castle." He looked toward the back of the room, where another boy ran off to check and see if any potions were missing.

Harry, his wand still aimed at the unconscious boy, stepped next to Karn. He could sense the growing panic in the room, and wanted to help calm things down - but he needed to know what was happening first.

"What caught your attention?" he asked the golem.

Karn's yellow eyes remained fixed on the intruder. "The castle can tell me where the death eaters are located. She says there are seven in the castle. Two are guards, and four are professors." The silver golem nodded toward the boy at their feet. "And the seventh is on the floor in front of us."


End file.
